Permanent link for The Importance of Rest Days on July 9, 2019

If you hear “rest day” and visualize a day spent watching Netflix with a carton of ice cream, there may be some confusion about what a rest day really is. Rest days are built on misunderstanding whether it is perceived as being lazy, or that they consist of completely sedentary activity. Whether you don’t currently incorporate rest days in your routine, or if you might have the wrong idea about what they are, rest days should be considered a regular addition to your workout week. 

There is a lot of value in balancing workouts with designated rest. Although, rest days are not to be confused with “cheat days.”  Cheat days allow you to give yourself a break when it comes to your diet. Rest days allow your body to recover by taking time off from training, which is strictly related to your physical activity. Either way, both can provide similar benefits, such as an increase in motivation and well deserved mental breaks.

While it may feel like a waste of time to give your muscles a break, rest days are key to forward progress. Your body is actually doing a lot of work on those days, and it leads to an extreme pay off. While you take a mental relaxation from training, your body is working hard to regain your energy and generate new muscle tissue. If your goal is to become stronger, you need rest days. 

What are other benefits, you ask? Rest days reduce the risk of injury, improve your sleep, and can even increase your motivation level. If you’ve recently started an exercise routine, it’s easy to get excited and cram too many workouts into one week. While high motivation is good, it may cause you to overwork and can eventually cause you to lose focus. Incorporating rest days into your routine gives you a chance to change it up and get excited about returning to your normal exercise schedule. Your routine should never feel like a chore. If you’re exerting too many hours into your week, you might push yourself to a plateau of motivation.

Although, don’t get too excited. This doesn’t go to say that your rest days have to be, or should be, filled with sedentary activity. While a day spent in bed might sound enticing, active rest days are the perfect balance. Active rest days can provide enough rest and relaxation for your mind and muscles, but also won’t set you back enough to a lack of motivation or leave you feeling stiff when you hop back into your routine. Need suggestions? Take a light walk, go swimming in the lake, play frisbee with a friend, or do anything that keeps you moving just a little.Your rest days shouldn’t feel forced; fill them with activities you look forward to.

If your goal is to transform fitness into a lifelong habit, there will most likely be days where you just can’t find the time, or you just need a day to mentally unwind. Don’t feel guilty about scheduling your rest days. It is important to slow down and allow your body to recover so you can move further toward your goals in the long run. Be kind to yourself and recognize your perfect balance. 

By: Alexis Smith

Categories: Fitness
Posted on Permanent link for The Importance of Rest Days on July 9, 2019.